Tidal hydraulic-power plant.



T. IVI. RIVERS.

TIDAL HYDRAULIC POWER PLANT.

APPLICATION FILED `MAY I8. 1916.

26%9625 Patented .J une 4, l1918.

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T. M. RIVERS.

TIDAL HYDRAULIC POWER PLANT. APPLICATION FILED MAY I8. T916. 1,268,625.. Patented June 4,1918

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rrIIoMAS M. RIVERS, or KISSIMMEE, FLORIDA.

TIDAL HYDRAULIC-POWER PLANT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 4, i918.

Application led May 18, 1916. Serial N0. 98,391.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS M. RIVERS, a citizen of .the United States, residing at Kissimmee, in the county of Osceola and State of Florida,-have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tidal Hydraulic-Power Plants; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The primary object of this invention is the provision of a novel, cheap, durable and efiicient hydraulic power plant that can be readily installed and will admit of maximum power being derived from the stored driving water.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a tidal hydraulic power plant, of such construction that its efciency will not be decreased at spring and neap tides.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a device yof this character having main accumulating and discharge reservoirs and auxiliary accumulating and discharge reservoirs, that can be rendered opperative should the main reservoirs become damaged. z

Other objects will appear and `be better understood from that embodiment of my invention of which the following is a speciiication, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof,

in which:

Figure 1 is a topp-plan view of 'the main laccumulating and discharge reservoirs,

fFig. 2 is a section, taken on the line of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a section, taken on the line 3-3 Fig 4 is a top plan view ofl a modified form of device,

Fig. 5 is 'a section taken on the line of Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawings in detail, and to the construction shown in Figs. l, 2 and 3, the numeral l designates a tidal hydraulic power plant as an entirety consisting of a body having a driving water accumulating reservoir 2, and a discharge reservoir 3. rThe depth of the accumulating reservoir is less than the depth of the discharge reservoir 3, and the said reservoirs are separated from each other by means of a partition wall 4. The rear end of the partition wall 4 is spacedfrom the rear wall of the body, and a fiume 5 establishes communication between the reservoirs 2 and 3 and has the lower wall thereof inclined, as shown more particularly in Fig. 2.

The front wall of the reservoir 2 is provided with inwardly swinging spaced gates 6, which are adapted to be moved inwardly by the pressure of the water when the tide rises, to admit water entering and filling the reservoir 2. l

-A gate 7 is located at that end of the fiume which extends into the reservoir 2, and when the said gate 7 is moved to open position the water in the reservoir 2 will pass through the fiume 5 and into the reservoir 3. A shaft 8 has one end extending through the rear wall of the body and through the flume y5 and journaled in the inner wall of the flume 5.

Located within the fiume 5 and mounted on the inner e'nd of the shaft 8 is a water wheel 9. This water wheel 9 is spaced slightly above the lower wall of the flume and during the lpassage of the water through the fiume the wheel 9 will be rotated to effect rotation of the shaft 8, the outer end of the shaft being designed to be connected in any suitable manner with any mechanism adapted to lbe operated. l

The front wall of the reservoir 3 is provided with a plurality of spaced and outwardly swinging gates 10, which are adapted to be closed by the pressure of water at high tide. When the tide is rising the water closes the gates 10 in the reservoir 3 and opens the gates 6. The water then passes into the reservoir 2 until the ksaid reservoir is filled, after which operation the gates 6 move by gravity to closed position. When the ebb'is well advanced, the gates 10 in the reservoir 3 open by pressure of water inside and they water which passes through the flume 5, from the reservoir 2, passes into the reservoir 3 and outwardly through the openings for the gates 10 in the front wall of the reservoir 3 and empties into the sea of other body of water.

A pair of diverging walls yllare'located in front of the reservoir 2 and serve to collect a large amount of water therebetween and also to facilitate the passage of the water: into the reservoir' 2.

In' the constructionv illustrated in' Figs."4 and 5, is shown a body having a main ac? cuinulating and a maindischargereservoir 12 and 13, similar in construction to the reservoirs 2 and 3 showny in Fig.' 1 and' thesame. Said reservoirs 15 ,andr 16 are arranged: intspacedv relationffto thereserlvoirs 412and .13to-prolvide canals 17 :and 18. A

third canal, designated 19, extendsfacrossv 1the rear of the body, and aflume 2.0,-1si1nil-ar .to 'theiume- 5 in FigJ l-isf located within fthe :canall19r: at a .pointv `in 4rear vof 'thea-main :reservoirs l12 and 13.

*The'ffrontwalls of 'the reservoirs `12 and 15 are provided*withlinwardly opening gates l"21 and'22, similar =to the gates'6 in 'the reservoir^2` in.'l Figi 1,1andthe front walls of the reservoirs13 and16fare providedwitlroutwardly opening gates 23 and 24,l similar'to the'v` gates E10 in'the reservoir 3 inlig. 1. i Y p rlhe-rearw'aillsl of the reservoirs 12,13, 15 and 16 arefprovidedlwith/manually operated gates, designated, respectively, the numerals`25, 26, '28 and 27, and similar manu'a'lly operated gates, l designated' 29- and 30, are located in the canals 17 and 18 adjacent the points of communication between the canals 17 andE 18 and the c an'alf 19.

Located within thefcan'al I19- is a pair of manually operated=gates31 and-32, which are located, respectively, at the oppositeends oftheA flume 20 and spaced-therefrom.

Under normal-conditions, 4the :gates 22, 24,227 andl28'in'the auxiliaryreservoirs 15 and 116- are closed, the-main reservoirs 12 and 13 being only'in operation. Y*VVhenWthe Jreservoirs'12 and 13 are,- alone, in operation, jthe gates *31,and .32 at'the lopposite lends of fthe flume'20 are Yclosed and thev gates 25 and26 in therear vwalls of the reservoirs' 12 4and 13 opened, so lthat the watercollected in-thel reservoir v12, during high tide,- cani pass'f throughthe flume 2OI into 'the `reservoir 13,/andfwhen the tiderecedes the water in passing through 1the' ilume120 finto'the-reservoir 113;;'operates a water wheel 33, which is located within the flume 20, and similar in construction to the wheel 9 shown in Fig. 1. Y

lf it happens that the main reservoirs 12 and 13 become inoperativa'thev gates 21, 23,

. 25 and 26 are locked in closed position -an'd-'-'the''gates 28--ar'id 27 in the rear walls .ofthe auxiliary reservoirs 15 and 16 opened,

andthe gates 22 and 24 rendered operative so that the auxiliary reservoirs can be operated 1n place of the main reservoirs;

also if :during/ the operation of the main reservoirs 12 and 13 the reservoir 12 does not furnish sufficient water, both 'the auxiliary.. and .mainf reservoirs zcanwbe fop'erated simultaneously, :so Ithat the wheel 33 lcanbe effectively operated.

"lhenit isdesired to facilitate the emptying of the==main discharge rreservoir=f13the be filled, 1 at spring tides, and `=the .water 'therein retained for. emergency fpulrposes. The gate 7, fshownin- Figs. 1, 2 and-3,. and

-the lgates 25,'26,27, 28,129,30, 31,;andf 32, 100

iirFigs'.' 4 and 5, arenvertically movable' and carry rack `:bars 34, having :the-teeth' :thereonffmeshing with cog- `wheels 35 mounted on ysuitable operating "sha'fts. Y

. f Havingthusdescribedmy invention what 'I claim as new, is:

1. 'Af vtidalhydraulic plant-comprising a body,a centralpartition extendingvacross the `body and' dividing the .same-f into an accumulating'reservoir and aV discharge freser- 1 1 0 voir, said Aaccumulating reservoir being-cof less depth than the dischargey reservoir, lthe partition'ei'iding short of the rear.=wall of the body, a 'fiume' located 1in the `space between the partition and the rear-wall of 115 the body and establishing a communication between the reservoirs, agate located at one end of the flume, a water wheel located rcentrallyy with-inj the' flume, outswinging gates connected to the dischargel reservoir, `and inwardly swinging gates carriedY by vthe accumulating reservoir.

, `2. A'tidal' hydraulic plant comprising a -pairV of accumulatingreservoirsfa 4canal locatedbetween the reservoirs, -a -pai'r` of 125 dischargev reservoirs, a 'canal locatedY be- .tweenv the f discharge reservoirs, said canals having their forward ends lopening 'out to Itheisea,v a'third canal -at'the irear end- 'ofthe reservoir:` and `establishing a communication between the reservoir and the iirst mentioned canals, a flume located within the third canal, a water wheel in the flume, independently operated means for establishing a communication between each of the reservoirs and the third canal, and independently operated means for establishing a Communication between the rst and second mentioned canals with the third canal, and gates regulating the flow of water from each of the 10 eservoirs, as and for the purpose speci- In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS M. RIVERS. Witnesses:

J. K. ATTWooD, J. W. MILLER, Jr.

Copies o! this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. C. 

